Method of reclaiming pipe couplings and the like



F. J. SHRUM METHOD OF RECLAIMING PIPE GOUPLINGS AND THE LIKE June 221926.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June lO 1924 IHII INVENTOR W/L CSQ ill)

Patented `lune 22, 1923.

UNITED STATES @TENT FFEQ.

PETER J. SHRUM, OF MONACA I-IEGH'IS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO COLONAMAN- UFACTURING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATON OFPENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF RECLAIMING PIPE COUPLINGS AND THE Application filed .Tune 10,1924. Serial No. '719,12e.

At the present time when a pipe coupling or thread protectorl becomesdamaged to such an extent that it is no longer servicee able, as `vhenthe threads thereof have become stripped or otherwise mutilated, it iscustomary to discard the-coupling or protector. The present inventionprovides a method whereby such damaged couplings and protectors can bereclaimed and made lit for further service, thereby enabling the user ofsuch devices to effect a considerable saving.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

F igure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away, of a halfcoupling having its threads damaged to such an extent that it is nolonger serviceable;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a portion of a press provided withstationary and movable dies and showing the coupling illustrated inFigure 1 in position in the stationary reducing die resting on anothercoupling which has been forced nearly all the way through the die byprevious operation of the movable die;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the coupling forcedpart Way through the reducing die; and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional 'view of the reclaimed coupling.

' ln the drawings l have illustrated my invention in connection with thereclaiming of a damaged half coupling, but it Will be understood thatthe invention is equally applicable to the reclaiming of full couplings,thread protectors and similar devices.

In Figures 3 and elthere is shown a portion of a press of suitableconstruction for carrying out the first step of my method. This presscomprises a bed plate 2 having` a die holder 3 secured to the upper facethereof by bolts 4l. The bed plate and die holder have a circularopening 5 therethrough.

Secured to the upper face of the die holder by the screws 6 is thereducing` die 7, preferably made from tool steel. This die is in theform of a ring, the upper p0rtion 8 of the bore of which has a diameterslightly greater than the external diameter coupling of the coupling 9shown in Figures 1 and 2 to provide a small amount of clearance. rlfhelower portion 10 of the bore is of reduced diameter, and the portions 8and 1U are connected by the inclined Wall 11. The vertical Wall of theportion 8 of the bore has its upper end flared outwardly as indicated at12 to facilitate the positioning of the coupling in the die.

The plunger 13 ef the press has secured to its loiver end by the screws14e a die 15 for cooperation with the reducing die T. The externaldiameter of the die 15 is the sameas the external diameter of thecouplingl 9 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The upper die 15 has in its lowerface a peripheral groove 1S, the outer edge 17 of which is coincidentwith the peripheral vWalll 18 of the die. The upper edge 19 of the coupling engages in this groove when the plunger' descends and prevents theupper end portion of the coupling from spreading or flaring outwardly asthe coupling is forced through the reducing die.

Figure 3 shows the coupling 9 in position in the upper portion 8 of thereducing die and the movable die 15 out ofpengagement With the coupling.The lower end of the coupling is in engagement with the upper end ofanother coupling C which has been forced nearly all the Way through thestationary die by a previous operation of he movable die. lt will beapparent that the movable die cannot force a coupling entirelyy throughthe reducing die at one operation by reason of the fact that thediameter of the. movable die is greater than the diameter of the lowerportion 10 of the reducing` dic. lil/Then the movable die 15 is broughtinto engagement With the upper edge 19 of the coupling 9 and the latterforced through the reducing die, as illustrated in Figure 4.-, thecoupling C is forced entirely through the stationary reducing die anddrops to the floor beneath the bed plate or into a suitable receptacleor onto a conveyor.

Since the diameter of the upper portion 8 of the bore of the reducingdie is slightly greater than the external diameter of the coupling to bereclaimed, the latter can be positioned in the porQion S even though thecoupling may have been slightly distorted, thereby losing its trulycylindrical shape. If the coupling has been distorted to such threads,as shown in Figure 5.

an extent that it will not readily enter the upper portion 8 ot the boreof the reducing die, its lower end will seat in the flared upper end i2oi" the bore and when the plunger i3 descends, the coupling will betoi-ced into the portion S, the lower end portion ol the `couplingbeing` brought back yto its cylindrical shape. As the coupling is forcedfurther through the reducing die, as illustrated in Figure at, theinclined wall il subjects the metal oil the coupling to a bending actionwhich not only .causes the rcduction ot the external and internaldiameters ot the coupling,y but ytends. to break thc mutilated threadsof the coupling. This bre,` ng of the threads oitl the coupling taicilita the 1re-tapping th'ereoi. Not only does the forcing ot thecoupling through the reducing die reduce `the diameter ot' the coupling,but `it also causes a slight increase in the thickness of the wall ofthe coupling.

fitter a coupling has been .torced entirely through the reducing die thenext step is to re-'tap it'. iiny suitable tool may be used vtor thispurpose. rlhe re-tapping operation will completely remore the oldmutilated threads and will provide vthe coupling with new The couplingmay be ive-tapped so as to give it'the same internal diameter as itoriginally had or it may have a slightly reduced diameter, enabling itto be used with a pipe of smaller external diameter than the pipe withwhich the coupling was previously used.

Thread protectors can Lbe reclaimed in substantially the same manner asdescribed for the -pipe coupling. No heating ot the metal is required,a's the. process can be carried out as a cold process. Furthermore, pipecouplings 'and thread protectors which have losttheir trulycylil'idric'al shapemay be brought to thisshape by the' reclaimingprocess described.

It will be-seen from the above thattheinvention provides a simple andrelatively inexpensive methodwnereby pipe couplings and threadprotectors which have heretofore been thrown awaycan be reclaimed.

lVhile l have shown and described :i pre- Ytei-rod Vlorm of apparatustor carrying out my method, it will be understood that changes may bemade in the detailsl oi com struction without departing 'from the spiritof the invention or scope ot the appended claims. l

I claim:

l. The method of reclaiming pipe couplings or like articles, whichincludes pre ing on the outer face otl the coupling Yfrom substantiallyall radial directions, pressing the metal inwardly to a suiiicientdegree to break the threads trom thc article and increase the wall4thickness for rcthreadinf while allowing the metal tree to tlow in :iradial direction toward the longitudinal center ot the article, andtheir rcthrciuling the coupling, substantially as described. Y

2. The method oi.' reclaiming threaded pipe couplings, which includespressing on the outer tace of the. coupling trom substantially allradial 4directions while con'ipressing the coupling in a longitudinaldirection and pressing the metal inwardly to a su'liicient degree tobreak the threads 'trom the article and increase the wall thicknesstorrethreading while allowing the racial tree to flow in aradial directiontoward the longitudinal center ot the coupling7 and then rethreading thecoupling. substantially.' as described.

The method of reclaiming threadel pipe couplings, which includescompressing the'coupling` in a longitudinal direction and at the sainetime progressively reducing the inner and outer dian'ietersthereoi tromend to end to a sutlicient deOree to brealr; the threads from thecoupling and to increase the wall `thickness for rethreading withoutrestricting the flow ot metal toward the longitudinal center oiLl thecoupling, and then rethreading the coupling7 substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof have hereunto set my hand.

PETER J. SHRUH.

